Nightingale Hospital explores lithium’s relevance in 2017

We are hosting an evening for our GPs, Consultant Psychiatrists and therapists at the Royal Society of Medicine on Wednesday 28th June.

Titled ‘The oldest, but still the best? Why Lithium is still so relevant in 2017’ – the seminar will discuss Lithium in the treatment of Bipolar disorder.

The evening will include presentations by Dr Marc Masson, The Science and Practice of Lithium Therapy co-editor and Dr Julius Bourke, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Neurophysiology and Clinical Psychiatry who are both renowned Consultant Psychiatrists at Nightingale Hospitals in London and Paris and are both leaders in their medical field.

When is Lithium used?

Lithium is arguably the only true mood stabiliser however its prescription is often obstructed by concerns about potential side-effects and the need for regular blood tests. In reality, lithium administration and monitoring is relatively straightforward, whilst its clinical benefits are potentially profound and far reaching at a fraction of the cost of contemporary agents.

What our specialists at Nightingale Hospital think about the use of Lithium?

“Lithium remains a vital part of the psychopharmacology armamentarium and is still the only mood stabiliser with demonstrable anti-suicide effects. In spite of this, the more we learn of its effects, the less it is prescribed. With this event, we hope to be able to bust some myths and demystify its side effects”

Dr William Shanahan, Consultant Psychiatrist & Medical Director at Nightingale Hospital London who will chair the evening added:

“As we search for optimum treatments for people presenting with mood problems; the variety of affective disorders – bipolar illness, hypomania, cyclothymia, borderline conditions – can seem bewildering. It is timely to look again at what many now perceive to be the gold standard of treatment for these patients: Lithium.”